Recently, notebook-sized personal computers (hereinafter called notebooks) and other small and lightweight information processing apparatuses are rapidly spreading widely. Along with an increase in capacity of application software and data, a detachable recording medium must have a large capacity. For the purpose of enjoying the music or movie, the notebook incorporates a disk drive device capable of reproducing or writing an optical disk such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM.
Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a conventional notebook is explained. FIG. 5 is a perspective outline view of the use of a conventional notebook incorporating a disk drive device. FIG. 6 is a bottom view in which a back plate of the casing has been removed. In FIG. 5, a main body 101 comprises an upper case 101a and a lower case 101b. On the top of the upper case 101a, there is a keyboard 102 with an arrangement of a number of keys for the input of text, numerals and symbols and for giving various instructions to the notebook. At the front side of the top of the upper case 101a, there is a pointing device 103 such as keypad for position input on the screen. A display unit 105 is installed rotatably on an axis 104 parallel to the end behind the main body, and at the side facing the keyboard 102 when the display unit 105 is closed, a display device 106 such as liquid crystal display device is disposed.
When an eject button 110 as shown in the drawing is pushed, a disk drive device 109 is slid out as being driven by a motor from the left side of the main body. The disk drive device 109 accepts a disk 107 such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM rotatably on a drive shaft 108, and can read from the disk 107 or write into the disk 107.
A conventional notebook with a disk drive device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. H5-346829.
In the conventional notebook, however, since the disk drive device is designed to slide out, a slide mechanism is needed, and the weight is increased due to the drive mechanism or motor. In addition, because of the sliding motion of the disk drive device and the disk, the disk drive device space and the disk moving space require free space so as not to contact other parts in the moving range of other constituent components. Therefore, the volume efficiency is poor.
Further, since the side of the casing is notched, the structural strength of the casing is lowered. As a countermeasure, the strength must be assured by increasing the wall thickness of the upper case and lower case, and both weight and volume are increased.
The notebook disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. H5-346829 is designed to open and close the entire keyboard unit. In such a system of opening and closing the entire keyboard unit, various limitations occur when composing the notebook, and there are problems in cooling. For example, since a keyboard is not fixed, the structure becomes weak or it becomes difficult to contact the keyboard unit bottom with an exothermic portion, and to make heat radiate.